Steel Garden
by Emi Nishimura-chan
Summary: ((AU)) After the Third World War, the world is nursing itself back into health. However it's a time of uncertainty. After using highly advanced robots to win the war, people aren't sure what to do with them. The robots look human and can think and feel for themselves. Some believe because of this that they should have rights. Will they get their rights or no? YAOI


**I tried to write this fanfiction before, but it wasn't coming out the way that I wanted it to. So I'm trying to get it to go in a different direction. Hopefully it works out! Review, critique, do whatever you want.**

The backyard of the complex was always empty. Not many people liked being out in the air for so long. Haruhi didn't mind. She wrapped a clothe around her nose and mouth that kept out most of the dust. She also wore clear goggles that framed her large brown eyes. Her brown hair flung about in the dusty winds, they caused her clothes to also whip around in the wind as well.

Moving to one side of the courtyard, the side that was best shielded by the storm. Haruhi headed there, and bent down pulling down her clothe to breath a bit better, if one could breath in this horrid air. She looked down at her most prized position. It was a garden, a garden made of glass and steel. Every time she found a glass that looked cool or a piece of scrap metal, she would bring it hme and add it to her collection.

So far she had three twisted metal beams that looked like they were made to hold up a building. It hadn't been easy getting them back. Easy to say they weighed a lot. There were other pieces of metal, all warped from the storm. And finally there was glass. Pieces of glass that were sand blown by the wind. No longer rough, but smooth to the touch. Haruhi smiles at her collection.

Haruhi pulled something out of her pocket. It was a small piece of blue glass. She humbly put it down with the others. She had so many different colors of glass, but this was the first she had a blue one. It was gorgeous and it really did make the rest of the garden look beautiful.

Suddenly Haruhi heard her name called from behind her. She turned around to see her father with his hair all done up and a little too much make-up. He had on a jumpsuit with a fluffy skirt. "Haruhi," called in his fake high pitched voice. "Come inside! You'll get radiation poisoning again!"

Quickly putting on her mask, Haruhi headed inside with her father. "Now you know today is a big day. Going to school. My little girl's a genius!" He hugged her close to him."

"I just passes the bar to get in, that doesn't make me a genius." Haruhi said neutrally. "Besides, lots of kids get in."

"Yes," her father agreed. "But how many of them do you think have a full scholarship?" He twirled around with her still in his arms. "Ah, my baby girl is so smart!"

To attempt to get away from her father, Haruhi looked at the clock on the wall. "Dad if I don't leave now I'll be late on my first day!" Her father let her go reluctantly and handed her a packed lunch.

"Have fun sweetie!" He called waving as she made her way to school.

Haruhi had put the cover back over her mouth and nose, her goggles also in place. It was dangerous to be outside too long. You could get radiation poisoning or worse. She passed the "or worse" in an alley on the way to school. He was a small skinny man, most of his bones showing, and his skin was melting right off of him. Hansenbyo kanja they were called, other's called them the forgotten. They were reminders why it was better to stay indoors.

The air around Haruhi was poisonous. If breathed in directly it could make you sick for weeks. That's why everyone, including Haruhi, kept the clothes around their mouth and nose. Even though she had been doing it all of her life it still weird feeling the fabric rub against her skin. It felt odd, like this wasn't the way things should be.

As she walked Haruhi looked around her at all the houses. Most of them had been blown over in the main dust storm leaving a pile or rubbish. The structures that were standing were made of bricks and plaster making it harder to knock over. It was a sad sight. The small beauty in all this carnage was the steel gardens everyone had put up.

Haruhi stopped for a moment to look at her favorite steel garden. It wasn't far from the school so it probably belonged to someone rich. It was the most beautiful thin she had ever seen. Somehow they had found a beam of metal that was twisted into the shape of a heart. Several red bottles were strung in the center making clinking sounds as they blew in the poisonous air. And in the right sunlight they case a red glow on the wall of the house. The rest of the yard had smaller pieces of metal and smaller pieces of sand blown glass on many different colors.

Looking at her watch she realized that she was late and turned and ran to the school. It wasn't far and she has seen it many times, but every time she saw it she was in awe. There was a giant glass and metal dome the encompassed the entire school. It kept the sand storms from interrupting classes. The school itself was a slight pink hue, Haruhi had a feeling it was to keep student moral up. It's hard to feel down surrounded by such a soft colored pink.

The gates to the school had two bodyguards. They both had long heavy brown trench coats with hoods that were buttoned all the way to their necks. They had cheap looking tan rags covering their mouths and noses that looked like they had seen their share of sand storms. They both wore goggles, one dark green the other black. "Student ID?" The guard with the green glasses asked producing a white gloved hand.

Without hesitation Haruhi handed over her info and waited as the man looked it over. "It's legit. Go on in." He handed her back her ID and pressed a red button next to him. The glass doors opened and Haruhi stepped in. She was now in a glass box. Confused she looked back at the man who then pressed another button. Air was everywhere. It blew up from the floor and ruffled all her clothes. The air left just as sudden as it had come. As soon as it had stopped the other doors opened and she entered onto the grounds that would now be her new school.

The grass was green, the skies were blue, and the air was clean. It was like walking into a totally new world. Haruhi quickly removed her face cover and inhaled the fresh air. "So this is what air is like?" She mused to herself.

Having taken enough time looking around Haruhi decided to go and find her class. This was going to be a good year. If she had only knew how wrong she was.


End file.
